60 brilliant ideas for business leaders … What you need to know to lead and succeed in today’s fast changing world

November 10, 2017

We live in an incredible time – more change in the next 10 years than in the last 250 years. How do you make sure that your own thoughts and actions keep pace, and that you are ready to seize the new opportunities for yourself and your business?

Markets are relentlessly reinvented, exponential technologies disrupt and enable what we buy and how, social and political uncertainty challenge every business.

Ideas can change the world, but making sense of this change, and making new strategies happen is not easy. In fact, everything you learn’t at business school has probably changed.

That’s why, even the busiest CEO, the most qualified and experienced leader, still needs to take time out to think, to make new connections, and to explore “where next” and “how better.”

Thinkers50 ranks the world’s top business thinkers – academics, leaders, authors, consultants – based on the power of their ideas (how distinctive, relevant, useful and contagious it is). I’ve decoded all of these ideas, brought them together into themes, and made them practical for you to apply in your business.

So imagine listening to the top business gurus, reading all the best books, going to all the elite business schools, and getting the best of the best … all in one day … what could be a better use of you time? This incredible one-day workshop is now available, exploring each of the 60 ideas – the key idea with a practical model, the thinker behind it, where and how to apply, and examples of it in action. Get in touch for “inspiration accelerator” for your top teams, your people or your clients.

Example: A+B+C = Dual Transformation … Scott Anthony explains how legacy companies can still succeed in a world where they are challenged by start-ups, by “disrupting the disruptors”. The secret is to create an model whereby you can both optimise your existing business, and create the future business, whilst leveraging your capabilities in a relevant and distinctive way to support both.

Example: Trust is a major issue. Consumer trust in brands is at an all time low, instead people turn to others – often strangers – for advice, recommendations and reviews. Just look at the importance of trust rankings to businesses like Airbnb or eBay. Rachel Botsman has been a leading thinker on collaborative business models, and here she talks about the currency of trust, and what it means for your business.

Collaborative Intelligence – Erika Dhawen on why together we are so much more

Awesomely Simple – John Spence offers an entidote to a world of complexity

Innovators DNA … Hal Gregorson on the new capabilities for innovation

Multiplier Effect – Liz Wiseman explains how to make everyone smarter

Happy Progress – Teresa Ambile on keeping people happy and motivated with small wins

Millennial Work – Karl Moore on how to engage the new generation in the workplace

Example: Everyone is motivated in different ways. Dan Pink explores the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don’t: Traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think. He argues that human motivation is largely intrinsic, and that the aspects of this motivation can be divided into autonomy, mastery and purpose.

Business Storytelling – Jennifer Aaker on how stories engage people more deeply

Viral Communication – Jonah Berger on how to make ideas spread further faster

Example: Every organisation is global – whether it take the form of a multicultural team, a internationally dispersed business structure, or global clients from around the world. Understanding how different cultures work together becomes crucial, and whilst we should look beyond stereotypes, cultures are defined by values and behaviours that are very different – and often in conflict. Erin Meyer explores these challenges in her fascinating development of The Culture Map.

Being a Super Boss – Syd Finkelstein surrounds himself with great talent to do better

Grit and Perseverence – Angela Duckworth reminds us that nothing beats hard work

Example: Why don’t we do what we know we should do? Some of our inner beliefs can trigger failure before it happens. They sabotage change by cancelling its possibility! Discover how to recognize these sabotaging beliefs and learn what you can do about them. Marshall Goldsmith explains more in his concept of Leadership Triggers, and how they can help you to become the person you want to be.

Circular Economy … Ellen MacArther on create a net positive impact on the world

Social Entrepreneurship … Roger Martin on applying all the ideas for more impact

Emotional Agility … Susan David on how to survive and thrive in a time of incredible progress.

Example: Kate Darling from MIT Media Lab explores how robots are likely to take an increasingly bigger part of our lives, exploring people’s instinctual and emotional perception of robots. A change from robots being present behind the scenes in manufacturing spaces etc. to being present in all areas of our lives is becoming a reality, whether you like it or not. Emotional affections to human alike robots are the new evolving thing. Kate takes us on the journey of anthropomorphism and what the future holds.

How can you apply them to your business? What do they challenge and support about how you think and act today? Which ones matter most to your future, and to you as a leader?

More insights and ideas, including keynotes, workshops and consulting: